DELRAY'S ROOTS FESTIVAL KEEPS BRANCHING OUT

DELRAY BEACH -- Bill Murray remembers the day more than 10 years ago when Elizabeth Wesley dropped by his home and asked him to organize a sports program for the first Roots Cultural Festival.

But Murray never thought that a decade later, "the Roots" would draw up to 20,000 people and award thousands of dollars in cash scholarships as well as scores of trophies for athletic achievement.

"I didn't imagine it would lead to this," he said Monday. "It's gotten so big."

The 10th annual Roots Cultural Festival begins Thursday and continues with 18 days of celebrations and competitions centered at the Pompey Park Center on Northwest Second Street.

The festival's golf and tennis tournaments, parade, theatrical presentations and oratorical and essay contests have become tradition over the decade. So have the booths serving up conch fritters, soul-food dinners and Jamaican delicacies.

But there also will be new attractions.

Elizabeth Wesley, one of the festival's original organizers who is this year's entertainment chairman, is continuing to cross new frontiers by including a show called "Caribbean Connection," featuring art from Haiti and possibly from other Caribbean islands.

"We'd like to include our brothers and sisters from Haiti, Jamaica and the Bahamas," said Tommy Stevens, chairman of the festival.

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the Constitution, the theme of this year's festival is "Celebrate the Constitution: Reach for a . . . Free Mind . . . Free Body . . .Free Soul."

"The message to the kids is you can be what you want to be if you have a free body, a free mind and a free soul," Stevens said.

The festival was begun a decade ago by the Jefferson Manors Homeowners Association to give local children an opportunity to learn about Afro-American origins and culture, Stevens explained.

"We wanted to give them an opportunity to see their own culture," he said.

But no one expects the kids -- or the adults -- just to watch. Participation is the name of the game.

There is a little something for everyone in events which include community Bible study, a business seminar, a poetry and jazz session and a fashion show.

"The Roots presents a forum (for people) to express themselves, whether it's athletics or oratory or whatever," said Murray, who has continued to organize athletic events since that first one-day festival.

So far this year, players from Miami to Riviera Beach have entered this weekend's tennis tournament, said Murray, who described the event as the state's largest tournament sponsored by a black organization. Last year about 100 players entered the tournament.

Stevens said he expects 20,000 people to attend the festival's final weekend, beginning with the traditional parade Aug. 7. Although last year's festival ended "in the red," Stevens said he hopes better organization will bring more profitable results.

For Dysonya Mitchell, the festival is a chance to show off the modeling skills she has been practicing. Mitchell, 13, will model a khaki-style outfit. She is a member of Youth of Distinction, a city talent club.

And her friends will be cheering her on.

"Everybody comes out for it," said Katrina Robinson, 12, who understands that for teen-agers -- and others -- the community celebration is the yearly event at which to see and be seen. "Everybody's there to see you."

"People look forward to the Roots every year," said Sue Jackson, one of the fetival's coordinators. "It's the community . . . getting together."